Online Dating Does Not Suck

On October 28th, Lara posted the following poll, “If you could pick one dating site to use, which would it be?”

Out of a total of 19 votes the winning answer was “None, they all suck,” with 7 votes. Five places got 2 votes a piece: Match.com, Plenty of Fish.com, Yahoo Personals, Lavalife.com, and OkCupid.

I don’t believe that any of the services suck. Maybe sometimes the people who use the services aren’t as motivated or as sincere as we’d like them to be, but that’s not the fault of the service, in my opinion.

If you checked “they all suck,” then is it because of a bad experience? Did you have a bad date? Or no date whatsoever? Did you feel that they were too pricey for what they offered? Or were there two many weirdos?  Did you check “they suck,” because it was a funny answer? Or maybe because in the past you heard that online dating sucks, maybe you know someone who had a bad experience?

If something does not work then how about instead of complaining and blaming some faceless entity, we instead take some responsibility? Did it suck because you didn’t put effort into the project? Did you put a photo up, write a short bio of “It’s so hard to talk about myself, I don’t know what to say, I like to do everything…,” and then just sit back and wait for the potential suitors to fill up your inbox?

I know that I’m guilty of that. I know that if I am cutting someone short or waiting for the men to come to me, it’s because when it comes to the subject of dating someone new, I’m still quite a bit ambivalent.  I’m not sure I’m up to getting my heart broken again, especially when it’s not yet over my last love.  Why did I set up the profile?  Why haven’t I officially broken up with my absent for 7 weeks boyfriend?  Is it because I’m afraid of being single again?

As you can see, I’m a mess, but you, you, I can help. Stop saying something sucks. Instead make it work for you, especially if this is something that you sunk your hard-earned money into. With the coming of the New Year, people’s priorities change. They get this idea in their heads that they want their lives to fall into line – they have goals and resolutions and being lonely is never on anybody’s list of goals.

Or if it truly does suck, but you’d still like to meet somebody, try some other way. Nobody said that Online Dating was the answer to anyone’s prayers. It’s just a tool, just another way for busy people to meet.

They offer the service, it’s up to you to use it to the best of your ability. Now get out there and start having some fun.

Image credit: All Posters.com